Flexible resilient footwear



May 30, 1961 s. A. MURAWSKI FLEXIBLE RESILIENT FOOTWEAR Filed Aug. 24, 1960 INVENTOR.

STEVEN A- MURAWSKI ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofice Patented May 30, 1 961 FLEXIBLE RESILIENT FOOTWEAR Steven A. Murawski, 13422 Ave. K, Chicago 33, Iii.

Filed Aug. 24, 1960, Ser. No. 51,595

Claims. (Cl. 3629) This invention relates to improvements in flexible resilient footwear and particularly to soles and heels fabricated from rubber, latex foam or other suitable plastic materials and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide a combined elastic sole and heel for footwear wherein each is provided with openings and flexible portions reducing shock during walking;

It is also an important objectof the invention to provide an elastic sole for footwear wherein angular openings extend transversely thereof andopening upon respective sides of the sole, there being a traction knob, nipple or other projecting member positioned directly beneath an apex defined by the angular-transverse openings formed in the heel so that under weight of a wearer, a collapse of the angular openings will be effected to provide a cushion action.

More specifically, it is an important object of the invention to provide a laminated sole wherein inner and outer sole members have confined and secured therebetween a cushion member, the cushion member being of the same dimensions as the sole members, the cushion member comprising a multiplicity of transversely extended openings, the openings being angularly disposed and being arranged in staggered relation to each other and so positioned as to present a pair of opposed apexes of the openings in a vertical plane with respect to the cushion member; the outer sole having ground-engaging projections arranged transversely and alternately with the angularly disposed openings of the cushion member, whereby a cushion effect is provided throughout the area defined by the laminated sole.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the laminated sole constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the sole, a portion of the heel being shown in elevation.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section of the sole, illustrating the relative movement between the outer sole and compression of the angular openings of the cushion member when the cylindrical knobs and triangular shaped projections encounter uneven ground surfaces.

There is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 a combined pneumatic sole and heel, generally indicated by the reference character 10.

The sole 11 which is of laminated formation comprises an inner elastic sole member 12, a cushion member 13 and an outer elastic sole member 14, all of which are of like dimensions and correspond to the dimensions of the welt of the shoe upon which the sole 11 is to be attached.

The cushion member 13' is formed from elastic ma terial, such as rubber, synthetic rubber, latex form and the like, the member being formed intermediately thereof" with a series of transversely disposed angular openingsopenings 15, the cushion member 13' is formed with V- shaped indentations 18 which extend transversely thereof and open upon respective sides of the member 13 the; apexes of which are positioned medially between pairs of openings 15. The cushion member 13 is adhesively, molded or otherwise secured to one side of the inner sole 12, the other side being suitably secured to the welt of the shoe.

The outer sole 14 is adhesively, molded or otherwiseseoured to the outer face of cushion member 13, and when so assembled, the V-shaped indentations 18 define transverse troughs.

The outer face of the sole 14 is provided with a series of alternately positioned rows of knobs 19 and V-shaped projections 20, which terminate a distance forwardly of the heel 21-. The knobs 19 are alternately positioned with respect toapertures 22, whichasshown in Figures 2 and 3 are in communication withad-j acent transverse angular openings 15. The V-shaped projections 20, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4, are defined by a series of closely abuttingsections 20' integrally formed as appendages of the outer sole 14 and are positioned directly beneath respective V-shaped indentations 18.

The heel 21 comprises a series of rows of individual abutting transverse strips 23, which as shown in Figure 2, extend approximately one-half the height of the heel, and each strip is provided with a series of octagonal openings 24 (see Fig. 1) arranged in staggered relation with respect to the next adjacent row of openings. In the forward and rearward portions 25 and 26 of the heel, the openings are omitted to prevent excessive flexing of the strips 23. The openings 24 form cushion pockets, reducing shocks to the wearer, as well as reducing weight of the completed sole and heel.

In use, it will be seen that shoes constructed with a sole and heel as described, when the sole and heel are compressed under action of walking, the knobs 19 will partially collapse the openings 15 which are in direct alignment therewith, and a similar effect will be produced between the V-shaped grooves 18, but in addition, the V-shaped projections 29' of the sections 20 are individually movable to conform to uneven ground surfaces.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a sole and heel has been provided wherein a complete pneumatic action is provided for the entire foot areas, reducing shock and affording comfort to the wearer, and while I have shown and specifically described the construction,

'this is by way of illustration only, and I consider as myown, all such modifications in construction as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A combined sole and heel for footwear which is elastic and pneumatic comprising an inner sole for securement to the welt of a shoe and an outer groundengaging sole, a cushion member interposed and secured between said inner and outer sole members, said cushion member having a plurality of transverse openings positioned medially thereof and opening upon respective longitudinal sides thereof and a heel member secured to said outer sole, said heel comprising a series of individual strips and each of said strips being provided with a series'of spaced, vertically extending openings.

2. A sole for footwear which is elastic and pneumatic comprising an inner sole for securement to the welt of a shoe and an outer ground-engaging sole, a cushion member interposed and secured between said inner and outer sole members, said cushion member having a plurality of transverse openings positioned medially thereof and opening upon respective longitudinal sides thereof, said outer ground-engaging sole comprising a series of alternately positioned knobs and V-shaped projections, said knobs being positioned in vertical alignment with said transverse openings.

3. A sole for footwear which is elastic and pneumatic comprising an inner sole for securement to the welt of a shoe and an outer ground-engaging sole, a cushion member interposed and secured between said inner and outer sole members, said cushion member having a plurality of transverse openings positioned medially thereof and opening upon respective side edges of the cushion member, said cushion member further having V-shaped grooves upon opposite sides thereof and positioned between pairs of said transverse openings, said outer ground-engaging sole comprising a series of alternately positioned rows of knobs and V-shaped projections, said knobs being positioned in vertical alignment with said transverse openings and said V-shaped projections being vertically aligned with said V-shaped grooves.

4. The structure of claim 3, wherein an aperture is formed between the knobs of each row and opening upon said transverse openings of said cushion member.

5. A sole for foot wear which is elastic and pneumatic comprising an inner sole for securement to the welt of a shoe and an outer ground-engaging sole, a cushion member interposed and secured between said inner and outer sole members, said cushion member having a plurality of angularly shaped transverse openings positioned medially thereof, in longitudinally spaced rows and opening upon respective longitudinal edges of the cushion member, a pair of opposed apexes of said transverse openings being positioned in vertical alignment, said cushion member further having V-shaped grooves upon opposite sides thereof and positioned between pairs of said transverse openings, said outer ground-engaging sole comprising a series of alternately positioned rows of knobs and V- shaped projections, said knobs being positioned in vertical alignment the vertically aligned apexes of said transverse openings, said V-shaped grooves being vertically aligned with said V-shaped projections and said groundengaging sole further having an aperture formed between the knobs of each row and opening upon said transverse openings.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,373,287 Ammann Mar. 29, 1921 1,498,838 Harrison June 24, 1924 1,596,923 Cooney Aug. 24, 1926 2,402,534 Crum June 25, 1946 2,508,392 Issaly May 23, 1950 2,553,616 Walls May 22, 1951 2,747,302 Heisterkamp May 29, 1956 

